Children&#39;s playing blocks



IIIIIIIIMIIMII'HIII uumummn mmm May 29, 1956 P. G. KUTSCHA 2,747,325

CHILDRENS PLAYING BLOCKS Filed April 28, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEV serve to maintain the plates in parallel relation.

United States Patent 2,747,325 CHILDRENS-PLAYING -BLQCKS Paul George Kutsclla, Union, N. J.

Application April 28, 1952, Serial No. 284,773

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-25) This invention relates to childrens playing blocks and more particularly to a set of blocks which are fashioned so as to co-act with each other to form interlocked structures.

It is an object of my invention to provide a block which can be interlocked with other blocks of the same construction in a variety of ways. It is another object of my invention to provide playing blocks which can co-act with flat slabs of wood in various ways so as to form a combination of structural elements having a high degree of versatility.

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the appended drawing.

In general my blocks comprise square parallel plates maintained in spaced relation by intermediate posts so that they may be oriented in various ways to eifect structural patterns. The basic concept is as disclosed in the patent application of Albert M. Zalkind, Serial Number 252,667, filed October 23, 1951, now Patent No. 2,690,032.

A particular novel feature described herein comprises dimensional relationships of the blocks such that the marginal region between the inner faces of the plates of a block can slidably accommodate the contiguous plates of a pair of identical blocks, thus to interlock the three blocks or to form structural combinations for interlocking any number of blocks. A further feature of my present invention is to provide certain novel grooves across the inner and outer faces of the plates in such a manner that a plurality of blocks may be interlockingly and angularly related to each other. Further additional features of my invention comprise a combination of simple straight slabs of wood having a co-acting dimensional relationship with my improved blocks so as to interlock therewith to effect further and additional types of structures which would otherwise not be possible with the blocks themselves.

My invention will now be described in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the blocks forming a set;

Fig. l-a is a perspective view of a wood slab devised to co-act with a block or blocks of the type shown in Figure 1;

Figure 2 is a showing of several of the blocks and one mode of interlocking them and also showing how they co-act structurally with slabs of the type shown in Figure l-a;

Figure 3 is an elevation view of several blocks showing the manner in which they can be interlockingly and angularly related, and

Figure 4 shows a plurality of blocks and slabs and another mode in which they can be combined for forming a structure.

Referring now to Figure 1, one of the blocks of my set comprises square plates 2 secured to posts 4 which Any ,325 Patented r-May 29, $1956 suitable mode of assembly maybe used such as nailing or gluing. The :external surfaces of the blocks are provided with grooves 6 ofright angle cross sections, the

centrally of the parallel edges as -shown.. In the event the blocks are assembled by nailing, the heads of the nails should, of course, be sunk deeply enough so as not to protrude into the grooves 6.

The internal faces of the plates 2 are provided with grooves 8 substantially the same as grooves 6 and disposed on both sides of the posts 4 being parallel to the plane thereof and to the grooves 6. The grooves 8 are disposed substantially in the center of the marginal area between posts 4 and the parallel sides of plates 2.

The posts 4 are of such length that the distance between the inner surfaces of plates 2 is approximately equal to twice the thickness of a plate 2 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

In Figure l-a is disclosed a rectangular slab 10 of wood having a thickness dimension equal to that of a plate 2 and a width dimension equal to that of a plate 2. The length is not critical except as affects weight balance for certain types of structures.

Referring now to Figure 2 a plurality of blocks are shown in an interlocked structure wherein it will be seen how the plates 2 of any two blocks may be slid into the space intermediate the plates 2 of a third block and thus the combination held together. Further, Figure 2 also shows how a pair of plates 10 may be slid between the plates 2 of a block to interlock therewith.

Figure 3 shows an angularly interlocked structure wherein a plurality of blocks are related to each other by having their edges accommodated in the internal and external grooves of other blocks. Thus if the lowermost block 12 is considered as resting on a table it will be seen that the edge of the inner surface of upper plate 2 grips a block 14 via the groove 8 in block 14 and also via groove 6 of block 12. Block 14 is gripped by a third block 16 which is in turn gripped by a fourth block 18. Thus the four blocks shown in Figure 3 present a balanced and interlocking structure. In fact, it is physically possible to interlock seven blocks in the manner shown so as to form a complete ring which, if suitable manufacturing tolerances are observed, will actually form an integral structure that can be picked up and handled without falling apart even though oriented so that the grooves are vertical, due to resiliency of the blocks and friction in the engaged parts.

Referring now to Figure 4 a further mode of combining the slabs 10 and a plurality of blocks is shown. In this instance each slab rests on a base block 20 and has an edge accommodated in a respective groove 8. The upper ends of the slabs support a third block 22 by virtue of engagement with the grooves 8 therein. It will be noted that the lower inner faces of the slabs rest on the inner edges 24 of the respective base blocks.

I am aware that various changes and modifications of my invention are possible. For example, the diameter of the posts 4 may be varied and the grooves may be disposed in directions and in positions other than as disclosed hereinabove. Accordingly, I do not seek to be limited to the precise illustration described, except as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a childs block comprising a pair of square plates and a pair of posts intermediate said plates, secured thereto, and maintaining said plates in spaced parallel, aligned relation, said posts having axes disposed in a plane midway between and parallel to a pair of opposite edges of said block and said posts being spaced relative their thickness so that the spacing between posts is equal to twice the distance from either post to the edge nearest thereto, said posts having a length relative to the thickness of said plates such that the block is a cube, the improvement which consists of providing a groove on the outer surface of each of said plates and running midway between parallel edges thereof and a pair of grooves on the inner surface of each of said plates parallel to said outer grooves and to each other and on respective opposite sides of said posts and spaced substantially midway between said posts and the respective parallel edges of said block, any of said grooves being adapted to receive therewithin the surface edge of a plate of an identical block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

